Heroes and Wizards
by Rapidfyrez
Summary: Dragged from her new home to yet another universe, Kara Zor-L, Power-Girl, finds herself in a world without superheros or heroines. The only truly 'super' being left, she's in a world of greys and blacks with only the help of a wiseass wizard to help her survive her greatest challenge yet... Chicago
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Well where do I begin with this? No, really, I'm serious here. This wasn't my idea. A friend suggested I start keeping a journal of these things, get all my thoughts and feelings together in one place. Basically, let me think over everything that's happened and figure out how my life went from one strange event to another.

But how do I start this, I mean, where would one even begin to cover the insanity of my life?

Oh, I know!

Let's start with some background. My name is Kara Zor-L. That's probably not a very familiar name to you. You probably know me by alias, Power-Girl! And if you don't know that, well…

I'm the superheroine with the really big boobs and the cleavage window. That should clear up any confusion you might have about who I am. But for the few of you left that don't know, I'm the cousin to Kal-L. Ya know, the Big Blue Boy Scout, Superman.

We're the last survivors of the planet Krypton, sent to Earth as refugees. And because of differing suns and planet ecology, we both developed 'super-powers'. Flight, super strength, invulnerability. A whole slew of abilities that the two of us use to fight crime and protect people. Admittedly, my cousins been at it for a couple more years than I have, but I've found my own place in the world.

I took the name Power-Girl to help separate myself from my cousin, get out from under his shadow. For the most part, it's worked even. I'm pretty well known, popular with the people, and even considered a national treasure by some (The reasons for that are less impressive then you would think)!

Heck, I was even using my own Kryptonian education and abilities to start a research firm. A company developing new techs to make life easier for everyone on Earth. The problem was making them available to the public, which we had almost managed to solve, when all of my hard work was thrown out the window.

My reputation, my company, my life on Earth, all of it irrelevant. The funny thing is, it wasn't even my fault! Honestly, I just…Okay, I'm getting ahead of myself here. Let me explain exactly what happened first, and hopefully things will start to make sense.

I'll keep this brief, because how I got into the situation I am in now really doesn't matter compared to what happened after.

The day had started pretty simple. Woke up in my apartment, fed my fluff-ball of a cat Stinky, handled some bills, and got ready for a morning patrol around New York. Yeah, a superhero in New York, what're the odds?

It had been a pretty uneventful patrol at first. A few lightweight crimes that I lightly intervened in, a speeding car or two, nothing unusual. Then, trouble started brewing along the Hudson River. I was there in a flash, and wouldn't you know it, Ultra-Humanite was up to no good. Again.

He was in the middle of some evil plot, I can't remember what it was it was so long ago. All I remember is that involved 200,000 megavolts of electricity, a garbage barge of fish, and lots and lots of Vaseline everywhere. So in other words, your standard clichéd super-villain plot. Seemed like another day in the life for me.

Then, when Ultra-Humanite seemed to have the upper hand on me, there was a colossal flash of light, a burning sensation all over my body, and what felt like a train hitting my chest. I crashed through something as a result, and remember something exploding behind me before everything got a lot darker.

And was on fire.

There was a lot of fire.

I shook my head and tried to get my bearings. I was flat on my back in a building somewhere. The wall opposite me was on fire. Not a little on fire, a great raging inferno that was spreading straight up onto the ceiling and spreading fast. That wasn't good.

"Ugh…" I pushed myself onto my feet and stumbled to the side. I had a great throbbing headache pounding against my skull constantly, and the room seemed to be spinning under my feet.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to get ahold of my senses. Bad idea. I inhaled a whole bunch of smoke and started hacking and choking. It wasn't pleasant. I backed away from the fire and waved the smoke out of my eyes. Then I tried to take stock of where I was through teary-eyed vision.

It seemed to be a large loading dock that took up most of the building, and was abandoned if the boarded windows were any indication. Large puddles of water dotted the floor and the only light was peeking through the ply board. Large stone pillars held the building up, which meant this was probably a multi-level structure. That fire wasn't going to help with that.

My eyes fell on the edge of a loading dock where a brand new white panel van was pulled up to the edge, its rear doors hanging open. There was a bundle of blankets inside, possibly a person, but to the right of the van…

I saw a woman clad in an entirely too tight white leotard straddling a tall lanky man on the floor. She was making…immodest noises, shivering, and overall being a disgusting person. Her back shifted and bent at unnatural angles, and the man (Who was thankfully fully clothed) seemed limped and despondent.

Now, two possibilities passed through my head on what was before me. I immediately dismissed the first one, and went with the second one. The air shook under my voice when I yelled, "Hey!" at the woman.

Gotta love that Kryptonian biology sometimes.

The woman only paused for a moment, then continued her… activities. I scowled and stormed forward. Now, I won't say I'm the most intimidating hero out there, that probably goes to my cousin when he's mad. But still, I'm an athletic woman with a six foot physique and the ability to make my eyes glow bright red.

So I had to imagine that I looked pretty intimidating striding towards those two. Which was probably why I heard, rather than saw, something skitter across the ground followed by a whoosh of air. I whipped around in time and caught some _thing_ by the throat before it got anywhere near me.

It had the body of a normal blonde human male, one in very good shape too. But that was about where the similarities ended. Shreds of pink flesh dangled from the things face, slick looking rubbery black highlighted by white. Its eyes were large, bulging and pitch black, even the sclera (Whites of the eyes for the less biologically conscious). The thing parted its oversized jaw in a furious hiss, fangs dripping with saliva like a rabid dog.

I wrinkled my nose in disgust, "Ew." Whatever this thing was, it certainly wasn't human. It barely looked sentient.

Elongated hands, black-clawed at the tips, wrapped around my arm, trying to get me to release it. Unfortunately for this monster, it didn't even scratch my sleeves. Its claws just harmless bounced off my arm, much to its shock. Its already bloated eyes somehow got bigger at that while its jaw seemed to drop open in shock.

I gave a little smirk at the monster, then I twisted on my heel and flung it at the woman who seemed to be, well, raping that poor man. In hindsight, this was the best thing I could've done, but at the moment I was horrified by my choice. I didn't _try_ to kill criminals regardless of their crimes. I wasn't judge, jury, or executioner, I just tried to protect people. And throwing a ravening fanged monster at a woman, even this one, seemed like a guaranteed death sentence.

Both bodies tumbled away from the man in a heap of limbs and torn clothing. The monster slammed into a pillar with a meaty smack. The woman crashed into one of the vans open doors and slid down onto the floor. Her eyes were blinking like she'd just been torn from a really good dream.

Then they turned black and she let out a furious hiss.

"Oh great." I grumbled, "So there's two of those things."

She got back up, as did the monster (Which should've stayed down after a hit like that) and their skin, I kid you not, began to _writhe and wriggle._ Like a swarm of snakes were traveling just below the first layer, ready to burst at any minute. Every time I think back to it, I shuddered a little.

At the time though, I took one step back out of sheer surprise, "Um…okay… This is new."

They lunged at me before I finished my sentence. Which, if I had been a human, or green to the whole heroine business, might've worked on me. The male flanked right while the female flanked left. It was a decent tactic, and might've worked. Again, if I was inexperienced or human. I was neither.

Both of the monsters leaped at me. I back stepped in a blur of red, white, and blue. They collided face first in mid-air, like something out of a cartoon. I kicked the male before he hit the ground into the van. I grabbed the female around the neck and pinned her to the nearest pillar with my forearm.

"Okay lady, talk." I ordered, "Who are you, what're you doing here, and how did I get here?"

The woman, who's facial features was a mass of shifting skin and snarling fangs, hissed at me ,"Kill you, human! I will kill you and devour you!"

I cringed a little on the inside. Outwardly, I sneered at this monster of a woman, "Right, gonna have to say no. The cops'll love bringing you in for questioning though."

That would've been the end of it right there. I had this woman pinned, the other monster was out of the fight for a moment, and I seemed stronger and faster than both of them. But, in the brief confusion, I had forgotten about something rather crucial.

The fire.

In our little scuffle, it had grown slow but steady. The structure of the building had begun to collapse under the heat, and wouldn't you know it, and entire section of wall suddenly gave way to my left. Sunlight poured in through the falling bricks and clouds of dust, the last rays of daylight. Where was I that it was almost night? The light hit both of us, and I kid you not, the woman burst into flames on the spot.

She screamed in agonized pain, I screamed in surprise, and I kinda let her go. It was a complete accident, but I released her and she was just gone. She and the other monster dragged themselves to the van, slamming the doors shut faster than any human. The male stopped, glaring at me with his oversized eyes while the female made low wailing sounds of pure agony.

"You both will pay. Understand Wizard? You and your harlot will pay!" then he hopped into the van. The engine roared to life and tires squealed in protest. The car shot out of the garage a moment later.

I almost decided to pursue them, get some actual answers, but there was a civilian at risk. The man that woman had been on the ground with was still there. He had slowly pushed himself up, but he had a dazed look on his face, like he'd been drugged heavily. Odds were, he had been. It would explain why the monster had been holding him down so easily.

I rushed to his side right as the man was struggling to his feet, "Easy does it," I said, hooking an arm under his shoulder and helping him up.

The guy was easily a head taller than me, almost seven feet tall. He was wearing a dark leather duster, dark clothes underneath, and I'm serious here, an honest to god cowboy hat. His hair was dark brown, and he had a strong chin that was a bit stubbly. The guy kinda reminded me of Batman, only not as buff or anti-socially into himself.

"You gonna be okay sir?" I asked.

The man looked out the hole in the wall, still dazed, "It's almost night…" he mumbled. His voice was a surprisingly baritone.

I stared out the hole, "Yeah, it's getting late." I looked back at him, "Sir, I think you need to get to the hospital, you might've-"

He shook his head and staggered forward, "N-no… No time. Dark. Vampires will come back. They always come back after dark. I need…need to get back to my apartment."

Obviously the guy was still out of it, and if I hadn't seen it for myself, I'd think he was hallucinating. But I've fought literal gods before, so vampires? Sure, why not. But this guy still didn't look like he should be allowed to try and get home by himself.

I was at his side again in a second, giving him a firm squeeze on the bicep. He froze and looked back at me. His eyes seemed more clouded then before. Jeez, the guy was going to pass out at any moment.

"Sir, you need a hospital." I repeated, "I can take you if you want, but the police should be here any minute."

Sirens were wailing in the distance and getting closer by the second. The tall man swayed back and forth for a moment. Fire chewed at the building, which I was pretty sure would give out any moment. It was already pretty old and seemed abandoned. No alarms had been going off with the fire, so it was safe to assume it was abandoned. All I had to do was convince this guy to let me help him.

To my irritation, he shook his head, "No… no hospital. Machines don't…don't work well around me. I need to get home."

I sighed. So it was gonna be like that huh? Well, if the guy was insisting, I might as well oblige him. So I grabbed him by the collar of his duster, and pulled him close, "Fine, hold on tight, and be prepared to give me directions."

"Wait, whaaaaa-!?"

And then I took off into the air with the poor guy in tow. Hey, he wanted to go home, right? Might as well take him there and get some damn answers. After all, the guy might've been in a burning building and nearly eaten by a monstrous vampire while also drugged, but he had to have an idea of where I'd wound up, right?

The guy, who's name I still hadn't gotten, eventually calmed down and managed to give me directions to his apartment. Apparently, I was in Chicago now. Not sure why, but I decided to roll with it and took the man home.

His home was a big century-old wooden boarding house that one sweep of my X-ray vision told me was divided into several apartments. It was almost entirely wood and seemed to groan and creak under the slightest breeze. The place was one with history, one that stirred a sense of nostalgia in you even if you'd grown up in steel and concrete houses like I kinda had. It was a nice neighborhood, real quiet, which meant no one saw us land at the stairway into his apartment.

Which was really more like the boardinghouse basement. Go figure. The moment we landed, the man slowly stumbled down. He was clearly still out of it, so I followed him down. No way I was going to let this guy hurt himself, and besides, he might have some answers for me about these vampires.

His front door was one of those big heavy steel doors you see in security buildings or at maximum security buildings. That immediately set off little alarm bells in my head and I did a quick scan for booby traps on the other side. Nothing. So the guy was just crazy paranoid and had a couple hundred pounds of steel for a door.

It seemed legit.

The man stopped at the door, swayed in place for a moment, then opened it and staggered in, "Come on in, if you want…" he sighed. It seemed more a practiced gesture than anything. The guy was _really_ out of it.

I followed and shut the door behind me with my foot. When I looked forward again, the man was standing back up and what appeared to be a small dog promptly rammed into my shins. I took one step back in surprise to realize it wasn't a small dog but a _really_ big cat. Thirty pounds, easy. The grey tabby was hug and brushed against my legs with a rumbling purr.

"Aw, hey big guy" I knelt down and started petting the cat, which he seemed to appreciate.

I was quick to get focused again, I totally didn't spend five minutes petting the cat, and looked around for the man. I got a good look at his room and blinked a few times in surprise. It was one large room with a small kitchenette and fireplace. Rugs were scattered over the stone floor, ranging from store bought, to handmade Navajo, to a black area rug with Elvis's face on it. Several bookshelves and tapestries lined the walls along with an original Star Wars poster. Well, at least the guy had good taste.

A door at the far end of the apartment lead into a bedroom with a narrow bed, which the guy had promptly collapsed into. Oh god!

I rushed across the floor (Kicking up a rug or five) into his room. The large beast that was a cat followed me and hopped onto his owners bed with an inquisitive tilt to his head. The man was spread eagle on his bed, and his cat was in the process of not giving a damn. Much like my own cat, he paced back and forth by the man's face, waiting to be fed.

"Go away…" the man mumbled, "Stupid furball, go on…"

I sighed and picked the cat up. The big guy went limp in my arms, "Where's your cat food?" I asked.

"Icebox…" the man mumbled. He really was about to drift off.

I carried the cat into the kitchenette and checked the small wooden box that was where the fridge should be. It was literally an ice box, kept cool with a giant block of ice. There were a variety of bachelor-esque foods in the icebox, but I found some cold cuts and dropped them on a little plate for the big tabby.

That seemed to please him for the moment, so I went back to check on the guy. And he was out like a light, snoring lightly on his bed.

I sighed, "Go figure."

I sat on the edge of the bed and narrowed my eyes at him. Layers of clothing and skin peeled away from him, exposing the inter-workings of the man. I'm not particularly great at using my x-ray vision for more than looking for blunt trauma or broken bones, but I could definitely tell something was wrong with the guy. Every muscle in his body was just… limp.

Not in the relaxed kinda way you can be when you're asleep, because even then your muscles are a little tense. I mean the guy was just a limp noodle. Everything about him just seemed to be… relaxed.

"What kinda drug did they put you on?" I wondered aloud.

Well, they were supposedly vampires. Their saliva was probably a natural narcotic. Had the woman kissed him? I didn't know, never got a good look before I hit her with the other vampire. Either way, the guy was out for the moment and I didn't know what to do. He wasn't really running a fever or anything, and except for how loose he was, he seemed relatively healthy.

A little bruised, but fine otherwise. I ran a hand through my hair and sighed, "Well great. Vampires on the loose and this guy might be the only one who knows anything about them. And now he's asleep. Lovely."

I wandered back into the living room, letting sleeping men lie, and headed for the old telephone on the edge of the kitchen counter. I had no idea what these 'vampires' were up to, but I did know this. Something was going down, and I needed some help. Time to call in the League and see if I could get someone more knowledgeable in the supernatural to help out. Preferably Zatanna or Doctor Fate. One of the major powerhouses in the supernatural world to help out.

I dialed the league (Members only number.) and waited. All I got was a busy dial tone. A frown crossed my lips and I tried again. Dial tone. So I tried the satellite number to the Watchtower. Dial tone.

I felt my eye twitch, and I started trying all the numbers I knew. Zatanna, Fate, Kal, Diana, Batman, Captain Atom, Dr. Atom, Wally West, J'onn, Green Lantern (Any of them). And every time I got the same end result. Dial tone, or a 'sorry, this number is not available'.

A slow pit of worry and doubt formed in my stomach. None of the league members numbers were working. Their private lines, personal lines, nothing. There was no way all of them could be taken out that fast. But if their numbers weren't working then…then…

"Oh god, not again." I said aloud.

Another alternate universe. I was trapped in _another_ god damn universe! Of all the no good, stupid, idiotic-

Before I could go on a rant and probably start trashing the poor man's apartment, I heard a scream of pain and terror from the bedroom. Once more, the cat and I were in there in a flash. The man had tumbled from his bed and was curled up in a fetal ball at the far corner of the bedroom. A pool of vomit wasn't too far from him and he was screaming like he was being torn apart.

I moved to act, but damn if that cat wasn't moving faster than I was. The big guy hopped up onto the man's chest and clawed at his face. Eyes shot open, terrified eyes, and took stock of where he was in an instant. The tabby scratched him again for good measure, which seemed to wake him up a little more.

The poor man was terrified, violently shaking now that he was awake. I walked over to him and knelt down, "Sir, we need to get you to the hospital."

He ignored me. Like I wasn't even there. The man just crawled forward suddenly, dragging himself to the living room. I scowled angrily. Enough of this crap, the guy was clearly sick and I-

The giant cat pressed against my leg and let out a warning growl. I looked down in surprise at big ol'cat eyes and saw intelligence in them. The cat wrinkled its nose and shook its head.

"Did…did you just tell me no?"

It nodded with another low feline growl.

Okay. Getting threatened by a cat. There was something I hadn't really expected to see, like… ever. I nearly ignored that cat though, because damn it, the guy had puked his guts out only a little after falling asleep. There was no way I could just ignore that and let bygones be bygones. The guy needed help, and I could take him to get help!

Then I could sort out this alternate universe crap and start working on a way home.

Again.

Ugh.

I walked back out into the living room right as the man stumbled down a secret door. Of course he had a secret door. I just shook my head and followed down into a room crowded in darkness. There were no lights to speak of, but that was hardly a problem. I narrowed my eyes and managed to get enough light into them that I could see a vague outline of a center table and several shelves lining the walls.

The man was sobbing now, pure terrified sobs, as he wobbled back and forth. He knocked over items left and right but didn't seem to care. I moved to help him, but he suddenly fell forward onto his hands and knees, fumbling for something. A moment later, I suddenly became aware of… a faint power in the room.

Nothing serious of course, but it was like being at a power station. You can feel the faint power in the air, the hum of energy flowing through metal and steel. That was what I felt, but on a scale so faint that almost no human would sense it. The sensation actually caught me off guard and I had to take a step back in surprise.

I got over it quickly and knelt next to the man. I reached for my belt at the same time and undid the front of the clasp. No, not like that. I had a built in flashlight I could remove from the front for anyone who didn't have my vision. So most people.

With a flick of a switch, bright blue light illuminated this… underground lab. I didn't pay it any attention, choosing to focus on the man in what appeared to be a large circle of bronze, silver, and gold, inlaid with multiple complex symbols whose meaning I did not even begin to comprehend.

The man (I really needed to know his name) was curled inside it, still crying over… whatever had haunted him. Poor guy.

"Sir," I said softly. The cat padded up behind me and circled the…circle, letting loose a low but reassuring purr. I stroked the cat absentmindedly and waited for the man to calm down.

Several minutes later, he seemed coherent again, only vaguely shaking. Which was good. That probably meant he was stabilizing. The cat seemed to agree and hopped up onto one of the shelves and sat there. Watching us with those big cat eyes.

"Sir," I repeated again, just as softly, "Are you feeling any better?"

The man groaned, and seemed to shrink in on himself, "No…not really…"

"I didn't think so." I agreed.

He took a few deep breaths and rolled onto his back. The man's eyes were bloodshot from crying and he just looked exhausted. I felt some sympathy for him, and was glad I'd decided to stick around and help out.

His eyes flicked over to me and blinked a few times, like he was just seeing me for the first time, "You…um…who are you? How'd you get into my house?"

I smiled a little, "You can call me Power-Girl sir. And you invited me in when I brought you here. Remember?"

"No." he admitted, then frowned, "Power-Girl…that's… aren't you a comic book hero?"

Inwardly I sighed. So it was one of _those_ universes. Ones that didn't have any heroes around to help them out. What's worse, it was one where we did exist, but only as media objects. Which probably meant there was tons of awful fanfiction out there about me. I made a note to avoid the internet for a long time.

"Technically, yes." I admitted, no point in lying, "Not really sure what I'm doing, but one moment I was fighting a villain, next there was a flash of light and I woke up in a burning garage. And you were being attacked by Vampires."

The man shivered, "Yeah… the siblings…I take it you chased them off?"

"I was going to arrest them, but yes, I did. Then I brought you here even though you should be in the hospital."

The man shook his head and struggled to sit up, "No… not a good idea. Tech doesn't work well around me. Besides, vampire venom just… it's a narcotic. A supernatural one that's a very extreme kinda roofy."

I winced, "Lovely. But if all it does is knock you out, what was with the whole…?"

"Nightmare." The man said. He rubbed his face and groaned, "Bad, bad nightmare…"

"I see." I said, "Well then, Mr…um?"

"Dresden," he said through his hands, "Harry Dresden."

"Right, well Mr. Dresden, it's been a pleasure, but I need some answers on this whole vampire thing. Like how I can help and what we're dealing with. Once that's done, hopefully I can work on a way back home."

Harry sighed, "I… think the vampires are the least of our worries."

"Yeah, they are." A voice said.

I shot up and whirled around with my light pointed in the direction of the voice. It lit up a frigging _human skull_ that was resting on a shelf amongst melted candles and half a dozen romance novels. Its eyes were glowing a fiery orange and staring at me. Or rather my chest.

"Nice rack." The skull said, then turned to Harry.

I just stood there dumbfounded for a moment while the skull talked.

"Harry," the skull said to the man, "How you holding up?"

"I feel like shit, Bob."

The skull, Bob, 'frowned', "Yeah, I bet. I saw what it was though. I saw it attack you and I think I know what it was. What went after Malone and the others, and how it did it."

"Wait, what?" I said. I tried getting over the talking skull for a moment, "What attacked him? When?"

"While you were on the phone." Bob said, "And what I'm talking about, is the thing that just tried to eat Harry's soul."

 **A/N: I may be getting a lot of hate thrown my way for this, but I have a reason for this story! My novel writing teacher suggested I work on a new side story to practice my writing, something similar to the book I'm working on, so I decided to work on this story. Power-Girl and the Dresden Files. A character I love mixed in with a book series I have been reading fanatically over the summer. I figured the two both mixed and countered each other well enough that I could get a genuinely good story out.**

 **Plus it's not related to Transformers, which is another huge plus. I am** _ **really**_ **done with Transformers for the moment. I need a break from it. So, this is my new story. I've got a plot worked out for it and everything. It's going to be a series, at least four books. The first two will sorta follow the Dresden File books 'Grave Peril' and 'Summer Knight' but will have some divergences due to Power-Girls presence.**

 **We'll eventually learn who dragged the poor Kryptonian to Dresdens world, why she's there, and then get a huge epic multiversal battle in true DC fashion. But for now, I'm trying to figure out how best to incorporate Power-Girl and how her personality works. A Beta Reader interested in helping me edit my work would be appreciated.**

 **But otherwise, I hope everyone enjoyed the story, and I hope to get another update out next week! Please don't lynch me for doing this instead of my other stories!**

 **Bye!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Eat me," Harry whispered, "I don't… I don't understand."

Neither did I. I think I was even more lost than Harry was. When it comes to the supernatural, I just don't have a clue. Science and logic have always been my strongest suits. Magic though, rarely makes sense to me. It can't be objectively studied, can defy the very laws of nature themselves, and were one of the few things that could hurt me.

Whenever Magic was involved, you could bet that I was going to get the crud pounded out of me at some point. I'm a glutton for punishment though, and despite the purely logical half of me telling me to get out now, the emotional heroic half hog-tied that half and pinned them to the ground.

Even if this was supernatural, and I didn't have Zatanna or Dr. Fate to call on, I could still help. I was a big girl, and a few fleshy vampires weren't going to scare me off.

"This thing you've been chasing, I think." Bob the skull said, "The Nightmare. I think it was here."

That, on the other hand, was not a good sign. I set my flashlight on the table, and leaned back with my arms crossed over my chest. The light cast long unnatural shadows across the lab, lighting up wire shelves, odd trinkets and bobbles, and sharpening the features on Bob. His glowing orange eyes weren't creepy enough, he looked like he was actually moving his 'head' around a little in this light.

I shuddered while Harry seemed to be growing more coherent, "Nightmare…" he closed his eyes, "Bob, I can't… I can't think straight. What's going on?"

"Well. You came in about an hour ago drugged to the gills on vampire spit with this incredibly hot cosplayer, all while muttering like a madman. I think you didn't realize that I was inside Mister. Do you remember that part?"

"Yeah. Sort of."

"Cosplayer?" I demanded. Bob just grinned at me, his eye-flames leering at my chest. Again.

I narrowed my eyes at him and felt them start to burn red hot. Bob quickly looked away back at Harry, "But, erm, anyway. What happened?"

Harry explained his experience with the two vampires, Kyle and Kelly Hamilton. The act seemed to help Harry get ahold of himself, and settle down. By the time he had finished relaying what happened, he looked less like a terrified rabbit than he had before.

And apparently, my interference had saved Harry's life. The two vampires had ambushed him while he was looking for a lost girl, and the saliva from Kelly had drugged him. Which explained why he was acting so loopy before.

"Sounds weird," Bob said. "Got to be something important to make them risk going out in daylight like that. Even in a specially equipped van."

"I realize that, Bob," Harry said, and covered his face with one hand.

I knelt down next to Harry, and resisted trying to give him a comforting pat on the back. There was still that faint hum of energy in the air. With my senses, I was able to figure out where the feeling was coming from, the metallic circle inlaid in the floor. Probably some kinda spell. I did not wanna mess with that.

So I kept my distance, and asked, "You feeling any better?"

"I…I guess."

"I think he got torn up pretty good, spirit-wise." Bob said from his shelf, "It's lucky you started screaming. We came quick as we could, but you were pretty delirious. The poison, I think."

Harry released his face and slumped forward, but remained inside the circle, "I remember that I had a dream. God, it was a terrible dream." He went pale and started to shake again.

"Hey," I said, "You're gonna be fine now. Just explain what happened. Take your time."

That seemed to give the man some confidence. His shaking slowed to slight tremors instead, "In the dream, I tried to change it, but I wasn't ready. I couldn't."

"A dream," Bob said. "Yeah, that figures."

"Figures?" I asked.

"Sure." Bob replied.

I closed my eyes and let out a sigh through my nose. Now came the part where I was gonna probably get a lesson in the supernatural. Boy, wouldn't that be _fun_.

Harry shook his head, rested his elbows on his knees, and put his face in his hands. He seemed as reluctant to be involved in this as I was. I liked him already.

"It was a spirit that jumped me?"

"Yeah."

Harry shook his head, "That doesn't make sense. How did it get past the threshold?"

"Threshold?" I asked.

"The natural energy that forms around a home." Bob explained, "Most spirits can't cross them, and those that can find it more difficult the bigger the field. I'll explain it more in a private lesson if ya want." He offered.

His eyebrows were _wiggling_ at me suggestively. I shot him a glare, "If that's the case, how did this spirit get past Harry's?"

"Bachelor Man doesn't have the strongest threshold." Bob said.

Harry managed to scowl at Bob, while I tried not to smile, "What about the wards, then? I've got all the doors and windows warded. And I don't have any mirrors it could have used."

If Bob was more than a skull, he'd have been rubbing his hands together, "Exactly," he said, "Yes, exactly."

Harry paled again and a new crop of shuddering made him put his hands in his lap. The poor man looked on the verge of crying again, ready to sob and puke out whatever bits of dignity he might have left. I, however, was still very confused.

"So… it never came in then?" I asked.

"It never had to cross those boundaries." Harry confirmed.

Bob's eyes blazed, "Exactly. Harry went out to it."

"When I was dreaming?"

"Yes, yes, yes," Bob bubbled. "It makes sense now-don't you see?"

"Not really," Harry and I said in unison.

"Dreams!" Bob said all mystic-like. "When a mortal dreams, all kinds of strange things can happen. When a wizard dreams, it can be even weirder. Sometimes, dreams can be intense enough to create a little, temporary world of their own. Kind of a bubble in the Nevernever. Remember how you told me Agatha Hagglethorn was a strong enough ghost to have had her own demesne in the Nevernever?"

"Yeah. It looked kind of like old Chicago." Harry said. At this point, I just sat on the ground next to the table and pulled my legs up. Lotta exposition going on, best to pay attention.

"Well, people can do the same, at times."

"But I'm not a ghost, Bob."

"No," he said. "You're not. But you've got everything it takes to make a ghost inside you except for the right set of circumstances. Ghosts are only frozen images of people, Harry, last impressions made by personality." Bob paused, reflectively. "People are almost always more trouble than anything you run into on the Other Side."

"I hadn't noticed," Harry said. "All right. So you're saying that any time I dream, it creates my own little rent-by-the-hour demesne in the Nevernever."

"Not every time," Bob corrected. "In fact, not even most times. Only really intense dreams, I suspect, bring the necessary energy out of people. But, with the border being so turbulent and easy to get through…"

"More people's dreams are making bubbles on the other side. That must have been how it got to poor Micky Malone, then. While he was sleeping. His wife said he'd had insomnia that night. So the thing hangs around outside his house waiting for him to fall asleep and starts killing fuzzy animals to fill up the time."

I interjected at this point, "Okay, pause," I said. "Can someone explain to me what you two are going on about? I feel like I just got dropped in the middle of a mystery novel, but everything makes even less sense than usual."

Bob and Harry both exchanged looks. Bob gave his closes approximation of a shrug, "Hey, you brought her home. Not me."

"Right," Harry let out a sigh. Then he turned to me, "Miss…um, do you have a secret identity or something I can call you by?"

"I do, and no you can't."

"Alright," Harry said. "Power-Girl, I'm what you'd call a wizard, if that wasn't obvious. I'm also a Private Investigator and consultant for the Chicago Police Department. I work on supernatural cases that most cops can't handle. I'm also a member of the White Council, who are basically a bunch of really powerful Wizards that work together to keep black magic from spreading and causing damage."

He took in a breath, "And right now, there's something going on with the barrier between this world, and the 'spirit world' or Nevernever. It's gotten thin and wavy, while all the ghosts in town are acting up more than usual. Oh, and there's this evil ghost, the Nigthmare, that's been going after civilians and cops. I'm pretty sure it just attacked me."

I stared at Harry silently for about five seconds. After my brain finished rebooting, I shrugged, "Alright then, how can I help?"

"Pardon?"

"Help. H-e-l-p. I'm a superhero, it's part of my job to protect innocents. How do I help?"

"I've got a few ideas." Bob suggested.

"Shut up Bob." Harry ordered, and rubbed his forehead with the heel of his hand. "Look, Power-Girl, the offers appreciated, but-"

I slammed my fist into the ground. It was a light hit, but the stone still cracked from the impact. The entire lab trembled and Harry's eyes tripled in size, "But nothing. I'm trapped in this universe, people's lives are at stake, and I'm more than capable of helping me. So again, Mr. Dresden, how can I help?"

There's this irritating tendency of male heroes where they think that in order to protect people, that means shooing out anything that has boobs and a vagina. They just don't think we womenfolk are as capable or 'powerful' as they are. My own cousin had this attitude at the beginning of the career, but I blame that on his wife and her inability to stay outta trouble.

But I was not a delicate flower. I've fought against meta-humans, robots, Kryptonians, and even gods. One spirit, no matter how insane it was, was going to scare me off. Despite what Dresden seemed to think.

His eyes flicked from my face, to my fist, and to the cracked stone. Then he repeated the process several times. Funny thing, he seemed to be avoiding eye contact.

"I..." Harry spoke slowly and carefully. "Think you can help… But I don't know how. Yet. I still have to put all the pieces together."

I smiled, "Alright. Just tell me what you need me to do when the time comes, Mr. Dresden."

Harry gulped, "Can do."

Bob chuckled, "He-he. Whipped."

"Shut up," Harry mumbled. I leaned back with a smile and watched as the two seemed to fall back into work.

"Okay," Bob said. "But, before I do, can you remember that dream?"

Harry shuddered, "Yeah. I remember it."

"The nightmare must have got inside with you."

"While my spirit was in the Nevernever?" Harry asked. "It should have ripped me to shreds."

"Not so," Bob beamed. "Your spirit's demesne, remember? Even if only a temporary one. Means you have the home field advantage. It didn't help, since it got the drop on you, but you had it."

"Oh."

"Do you remember anything in particular, any figure or character in the dream that wouldn't have been acting the way you thought it should?"

"Yeah." Harry said. His trembling hands went for his stomach, like he was feeling for bite marks. "Hell's bells, yeah. I was dreaming of that bust a couple of months back. When we nailed Kravos."

"Sorcerer," Bob clarified for me. Then heworked his jaw, "Hmm. Okay. This could be important. What happened?"

Harry made an effort not to throw up. I appreciated it, given my proximity to the splash zone. "Um. Everything went wrong. That demon he'd called. It was stronger than it had been in life."

"The demon was?"

Harry blinked. "Bob. Is it possible for something like a demon to leave a ghost?"

"Oh, uh," Bob said, "I don't think so-unless it had actually died there. Eternally perished, I mean, not just had its vessel dispersed."

"Here we go with the crap I don't understand," I sighed.

"I'll explain later," Harry promised. He turned to bob, "Michael did kill it with _Amoracchius_."

Bob's skull gave a rattle. "Ow," he said. " _Amoracchius_. I'm not sure, then. I don't know. That sword might be able to kill a demon, even through a physical shell. That whole faith-magic thing is awfully strong."

"I take it Michael's a knight of some kind?" I asked.

"Knight of the Cross," Harry confirmed. "Very powerful, and very dangerous to the bad guys. I think the two of you would get along."

I arched a brow at him. Harry looked away, "Okay, so. We could be dealing with the ghost of a demon, here," I said. "A demon that died while it was all fired up for a fight. Maybe that's what makes it so…so vicious."

"Could be," Bob agreed. Cheerfully.

Harry frowned, "But that doesn't explain the barbed-wire spells we've been finding that's riled up those ghosts and people." Harry took a moment to calm down and think over those facts. It seemed to relax him a little. His pale skin looked more lively in the dim glow of my flashlight, and his eyes were alive again.

I crossed my arms and tapped my chin, "Could…some else have cast the spell? Like, the ghost is working with another magician or something?"

"Wizard," Harry corrected. "And maybe…"

His eyes lit up, "Bianca. The vampire baroness of Chicago. She and her lackeys, you know, the twins? They're all messed up in this somehow-remember that they went after the girl, Lydia?"

I shuddered. The poor girl Lydia had been that bundle of blankets I'd seen in the van. But focusing on Dresden and the vampires, I hadn't really noticed her. I sincerely hoped she was okay, "Yeah, I remember."

"Well, they were also waiting for me on the first night of the case, after I came back from being arrested."

I didn't question that.

"I didn't think she was a big time practitioner." Bob said.

Harry shrugged. "She's not, horribly. But she just got promoted, too. Maybe she's been studying up. She's always had a little more than her share of freaky vampire tricks-and if she was over in the Nevernever when she did it, it would have made her stronger."

Bob whistled through his teeth. Somehow. " Yeah, that could work. Bianca stirs things up by torturing a bunch of spirits, gets all the turbulence going so that she can prod this Nightmare toward you. Then she lets it loose, sits back, and enjoys the fun."

"She have a motive?" I asked. There was always motive for something like this.

"Regret." Harry got a faint look in his eyes, like he was remembering something from a few years back. "She blames me for the death of one of her people. Rachel. She wants to make me regret it."

"Neat," Bob said. "And she could have been everwhere in question?"

"Yeah," Harry said. "Yeah, she could have been."

"Means, opportunity, motive."

"Damn shaky logic, though. Nothing I could justify to the council in order to get their backup, either. I don't have proof."

I frowned, "So they can't just, use their magic to monitor her or something? Maybe go in anyway and kick some vampire butt?"

Harry looked at me and sighed, "No. The Council and Red Court are basically supernatural nations. If they did that to Bianca, it'd be a declaration of war. Lot of people would die. I'm on my own."

"We're on our own." I countered.

Harry smiled, and Bob clacked his teeth together. "Not an issue anyway. Just hat up and go kill her. Problem solved."

"Bob," Harry said, sounding like a chiding parent, "You can't just go around killing people."

"I know. That's why you two should do it."

"No, no. _We_ can't go around killing people, either."

"Why not? You've done it before. And you've got a new gun and everything!"

"I can't arbitrarily end someone's life because of something they may have done."

"Bianca's a vampire," Bob pointed out cheerfully. "She's not alive in the classic sense. I'll get Mister and go fetch bullets and you-"

Harrry rolled his eyes and gave me a 'see what I have to deal with?' look. "No, Bob. She's got lots of people around her, too. I'd probably have to kill some of them to get to her."

"Oh. Damn. This is one of those right and wrong issues again, isn't it?"

"Yeah. One of those."

"I'm still confused about this whole morality thing, Harry."

"Join the club," Harry muttered. He took a shaky breath, leaned forward, and put his hand over the circle. The faint hum of energy seemed to _'snap!'_ and fade away. I blinked in surprise while Harry cringed. He recovered quickly though, and seemed resigned to his work.

I stood up and pulled the guy up with me. He still towered over me, but at least he wasn't stumbling around like a drunk anymore. There was a loud pop, and my flashlight suddenly went dark.

"Oh lovely," I said as the room went pitch black.

"Sorry. Like I said, tech doesn't last very long around a wizard," Harry said.

He reached for the nearest candle on his worktable. He didn't have any matches, so he just pointed a finger at it and muttered the words, _"Flickum bicus."_

Really, that's what he said. Whatever the spell was meant to do, it obviously didn't work. There was a brief spark of light on the candles wick, but no light. I crossed my arms and raised a brow, even if Harry couldn't see me.

"Hold on…" Harry closed his eyes and repeated the spell with a greater focus on the words. This time, the candle flickered to life with a soft pop. Harry braced himself against the edge of the table, looking tired.

"You alright?"

Harry shook his head, "Bob, were you watching that?"

"Yeah," Bob said. He was wearing a frown on his eerily orange face.

"What happened?"

"Um. You didn't put enough magic into the spell, the first time around."

"I put as much as I always do." Harry protested. "Come on, I've done that spell a million times."

"Seventeen hundred and fifty-six times I've seen."

Harry gave him an irritated glare, "You know what I mean."

"Not enough power," Bob said, "I call 'em like I see 'em."

I watched Harry look from his hand to the candle, a look of confusion on his face. He muttered to himself, "Why did I have to work to make that thing light up?"

"Performance issues?" I suggested.

Bob snorted, "Ha! Nice!"

Harry sent me a shrewd glance and I just smiled innocently. "Okay. Seriously, why?"

Bob tilted back and forth on his shelf. I just now noticed it was covered in romance novels and playboy magazines. Suddenly, a lot about Bob made sense.

"Probably cause the Nightmare took a big bite out of your powers, Harry."

Harry turned around, very slowly, to blink at Bob. "It…it did what?"

I have experience with events like that. The Parasite, the guy who absorbs energy, loves coming after me or my cousin. Every time we're left with a fraction of our full power by the time we've beaten the guy. It's never a fun moment. But how had Harry…

I gulped, "Oh boy, this isn't good…"

Bob seemed to agree with me, and leaned his skull forward. "When it attacked you, in your dream, did it go after a specific place on your body?"

Harry put his hand to the base of his stomach, pressed there, and his eyes went wide.

Bob winced, "Oooo, chakra point. That isn't good. Got you right in the chi."

"Bob," Harry whispered. It was a more worried then scared tone, but the meaning was the same.

"Good thing he didn't go after your mojo though, right? I mean, you have to look on the bright side of these-"

"Bob," Harry said, louder. "Are you saying it…it _ate_ my magic?"

Bob got a defensive look on his face. Somehow. "Not _all_ of it. I woke you up quick as I could. Harry, don't worry about it, you'll heal. Sure you might be down for a couple of months. Or, um, years. Well, decades, possibly, but that's only a very outside chance-"

Harry cut him off, "He ate part of my power. Does that mean the Nightmare is stronger?"

"Well, naturally, Harry. You are what you eat."

"He's got a point." I agreed. Bob grinned at me. I returned the look with a scowl.

"Dammit." Harry cursed, rubbing his temples. "Okay, okay. We've really got to find this thing now." He began to pace to and fro. "If it's using my power, it makes me responsible for what it does with it."

"Harry, that's irrational." Bob scoffed.

I interjected, "No, it's not. When something takes your power, it normally means it'll abuse it in some way. Mr. Dresden, we need to figure out how to stop that thing, now."

"Yes, thank you for the insight Gandalf." Harry said. I looked at him unamused, but Harry ignored the look.

He resumed pacing. "We have to figure out where this thing is going to hit next. It's got all night to move."

"Ten hours, fifteen minutes," Bob corrected. "Shouldn't be hard. From what I've read in those journals from the ectomancer, the thing can show up in nightmares, but there's going to be commonality between all of it. Ghosts can only have this kinda power when acting within the parameters of their specific bailiwick."

"Baili-what-now?"

Bob sighed. "Look at it this way. A ghost can only affect something that relates directly to its death. Agatha Hagglethorn couldn't terrorize a Cubs game, for example."

"Not like it'd make a difference," I added.

"She could mess with infants, abusive husbands, maybe abused wives-"

"And meddling wizards," Harry grumbled.

"You got in the line of fire, sure," Bob said. "But Agatha couldn't just run around willy-nilly and wreak havoc."

"The Nightmare has to have a personal beef in this," Harry said. "That's what you're saying."

"Well. It has to be related to its demise, somehow. So, yeah. I guess that is what I'm saying. More specifically, it's what Mort Lindquist was saying, in his journals."

"Me," Harry scratched his chin. "And Lydia. And Mickey Malone. How the hell do all those relate? I never saw Lydia before in my life." He frowned. "At least, I don't think I have."

"She's kind of an oddball," Bob agreed. "Leave her out of the equation."

He did, and Harry's face twisted with a horrific realization. "Dammit," he said. He turned and ran toward the stairs on wobbly legs, and started hauling himself up them toward the phone.

"What?" Bob called after hi. "Harry, what?"

"If that thing is the demon's ghost, I know what it wants. Pay-back. It's after the people that took it down!" Harry yelled back down the stairs, "I've got to find Murphy."

I followed after Harry up the stairs, "Wait, Dresden, who's Murphy?"

"Police lieutenant I work with," he said. He unhooked the phone and dialed a number. After a moment he groaned, and dialed a different number.

He got an answer that time. "Murph. Look, I need you to trust me on this one. I'm coming down there and I'll be there in about twenty minutes. You could be in danger. Stay where you are and stay awake until I get to you."

Harry stood there, listening to this 'Murphy' and frowned, "Late? No, dammit. Look, just do what I said, all right?"

Silence.

"Twenty. I said twenty minutes Murph."

Harry listened some more, and I had a feeling Murphy was glaring at him over the phone. Suddenly, Harry blinked and turned pale. He started taking big deep breaths to keep calm, "Wait, Murphy. Are you saying you talked to me five minutes ago?"

I actually heard the growl of Murphy's response and realized that Murphy was a woman. Neat.

"Dammit!" Harry cursed. He hung up, dialed again, then let out an irritated growl.

"Okay, what's the plan?" I asked.

Harry started searching through his apartment while I followed him. "I need my car keys. Where are my car keys!?"

"Probably in your car still. I flew us here, remember?"

Harry straightened up and looked at me, "We did? Nevermind, can you do it again?"

"Sure, but I'll need a disguise or something. I can't exactly run around a police station like this."

I was an unknown figure in this universe, and my super-suit was a bit… eye catching. For the few that don't know, I wear a white leotard that covers my entire body except for my legs from the hips down. Blue boots and gloves go with it and I have a red cape clasped to my back with a golden…clasp. Oh, and the window on my chest that shows off my admittedly large breasts.

That was going to attract a lot of attention if I wore that to a police station. Harry ripped off his duster and flung it at me. I caught it and shrugged, slipping it on. It was still warm and a bit big for me. The ends trailed on the floor, but it'd have to do for now.

I removed the collar of my suit along with the cape and shoved it in one of the dusters oversized pockets. I buttoned it up and tightened the waist. It was good enough for now, though my gloves and boots might attract attention. Oh well.

Harry, meanwhile, gathered a variety of ghost fighting implements. At least, I hope they were. Salt, a wooden spoon, a table knife, a couple candles and matches, and a coffee cup were all stuffed into an old Scooby-Doo lunch box. Oh, and then he grabbed some sand from the kitchen closet and tossed it into a plastic bag.

"In any other situation, I'd think you were crazy." I informed him.

The wizard gave me a lazy smile as he hefted his lunchbox, "Don't worry, I'll give you plenty of reasons to think that later."

I just shook my head and the two of us headed for the door. I tried not to think too hard on what we were going to confront, but I was worried. This was a spirit, a supernatural creature. I was completely out of my league here. But there was an innocent, a police-woman at risk.

I had to do something. And that, was why I decided to follow Dresden and help him.

Boy, if I only knew what kinda situation I was getting into…

 **A/N: Welp, sorry this was such an exposition heavy chapter. I used a lot of dialogue from Grave Peril, but I needed to in order to get the exposition out of the way and catch up any none Dresden File fans up to speed. Next chapter will be different and have some divergence from what originally happened I think. Expect to see it either tomorrow or Sunday.**

 **Otherwise, please remember to review the story and let me know what you think! Bye!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Since I was carrying Dresden instead of us driving to the station, we managed to get there in far less than the twenty minutes that Harry had promised Murphy. We landed in an alleyway across the street from the building.

The district station was crouched down amongst taller buildings that surrounded it, solid and square and a bit battered. Like my old trainer Wildcat, a tough old man standing among a forest of tall over-confident heroes. We both ran towards the building, Dresden taking his Scooby-Doo lunch box in his right hand and a wooden rod in the other, while I kept his duster from billowing out around me.

The grizzled old sergeant behind the front desk blinked at the two of us as we came through the doorway, Harry panting while I was not. "Dresden?"

Harry shot me a quick dirty look, then looked at the sergeant. "Hi. Which way did I go?"

He blinked. "What?"

"Did I come through here a minute ago?"

The thick grey moustache on his lip twitched in little nervous motions. He spared his clipboard a glance. "Yeah. You went to see Lieutenant Murphy just one minute ago."

"Great." Harry said. "We need to see her again. Buzz us through?"

He peered at Dresden, a little closer, then he looked at me, "Who's your friend?"

"Penelope Griffin." Harry lied. "She's an associate of mine."

For a moment, I thought the cop might not buy Harry's excuse, that he'd tell me to stay out and wait. But maybe it was the frantic look on Harry's face, or the oddity of seeing him a second time that convinced him. Or maybe it was me parting the top of the duster to expose a rather generous amount of cleavage in a manner so casual it had to look accidental.

Either way, he buzzed us through, still suspicious. "What's going on here, Mr. Dresden?"

"Believe me," he said. "As soon as I work that out, I'll be sure to tell you."

He opened the door and we headed through, up the stairs, and toward the offices. I think it was the fourth floor when Harry finally stopped, barreled through the doors, and sprinted down the rows of desks toward Murphy's office. Right as another Harry was shutting the door to her office. Two officers, one aging into his fifties or sixties, and the other barely in his twenties, both started up from their chairs, blinking as we went past.

"What the hell!?" the young one blurted, eyes widening. I think his nose started to bleed when he saw me.

"Murphy in her office?" Harry shouted.

"Y-yeah," The older officer stammered, "with you."

Officer Murphy's office stood at the back of the room, made of cheap walls and a cheap door that bore a metallic nameplate with her name and title on it. I pushed Harry out of the way, and ripped the cheap door off its hinges. Subtlety be damned, a person's life was at risk.

Harry rushed in while I set the door aside and followed in. This Murphy was a short woman, barely over five feet tall. Her hair was the same golden blonde as my own, but mussed up from hat hair. Her eyes were blue and her face would've been kinda cute for a woman her size if she didn't look so exhausted. And angry.

The Nightmare, as Harry called it, stood directly in front of her in all black. It looked exactly like Harry, but with its face twisted into an almost serene and malicious expression. It was frightening on a man as big as Harry was.

'Course, when we came barreling in, that expression evaporated in an instant. Murphy looked towards Harry in surprise. "Dresden?!"

Harry sneered at his doppelganger, "Get the hell out of here!"

The Nightmare's dark eyes snapped at Harry, burning with cold, controlled intelligence. It lifted its lips away in an abrupt snarl. "Be thou silent, wizard," it murmured, steel and swords in its words. "Else I will tear thee apart, as I already have this night."

"Dresden, what the hell is going on here!?" Murphy demanded. The woman looked very confused.

For a moment, Harry's face went pale. He looked ready to either vomit or run off down the halls screaming like a little girl. It was a brief moment of hesitation, and I took action when I saw it.

"He said, get out of here!" I was a blur of black and white and yellow, slamming into Harry's double with the force of a freight train.

The spirit hadn't been prepared for something to move that fast, and hit the back wall with a meaty smack. I pinned him to the wall with my forearm pressed against his neck a moment later. I think I heard Harry's jaw drop open in surprise.

His doppelganger looked equally caught off guard. I applied a little pressure and narrowed my eyes, "Alright, now I'm only going to say this again one more time. Get. Out of. Here."

The Nightmare briefly struggled against my arm, before realizing it was hopeless. Its mouth slowly twisted into a smile that made my skin crawl. "There is something thou hast overlooked, mortal."

"Yeah?" I asked. "What's that?"

"I have partaken of the wizard. I am what thou is," the Nightmare whispered. Now, when I have someone pinned to a wall, I don't normally pin their arms, since the average person isn't strong enough to hurt me. That was why the Nightmare was able to flick its hand at me. _"Ventas servitas."_

Wind screamed in a sudden fury and flung me from my feet into the air. I collided with Harry, who collided with the two cops as they ran forward. We all went down in a heap of limbs on the ground.

I lay there stunned for a moment. I heard the Nightmare walk out. It just walked past us, footsteps calm and quiet, and left the room. I stood up amongst the pile, and felt someone fall flat on their face behind me.

"Ow." Harry mumbled.

"Sorry." I helped Harry and the officers up, but my eyes tracked the hall where I thought the Nightmare had exited. Layers upon layers of concrete, steel, and drywall lifted away to reveal a transparent lattice work that made up the building. Skeletal figures wondered from floor to floor going about their daily business. But there was no six and a half foot tall demon-ghost walking the halls.

Damn it.

"What the hell?" the young officer said.

Harry groaned and pressed a hand against his skull, "Oh, stars. I should have known better than to give him a straight line like that."

I helped the older officer up off the ground. Blood ran out of his nose and into his greying moustache. Flecks of red spotted his white dress shirt. "That… Good Lord, Dresden. What was that thing?"

Conflicted emotions passed over Harry's face. Guilt, fear, pain, and fury. Lots of fury was hidden in those eyes of his. Instead of screaming or cursing though, Harry staggered back to Murphy's office.

"It's what got Malone, Stallings," he told the cop. "It's kind of complicated."

I avoided any eye contact for the moment, and followed Harry with my shoulders hunched. It was more than a little humiliating being sideswiped like that. Normally, I'm so strong I don't need to worry about stuff like that. I hadn't expected to get hit with a magical haymaker so casually.

I should've known better.

Murphy was still standing against the wall, her eyes wide in surprise, staring off into nothingness. Harry leaned forward in front of her. "Murphy?" he asked. "Karrin? Can you hear me?"

She decked him, sending Harry sprawling on his ass. I liked her already.

"What the hell was that!?" She demanded. Murphy's face was a mask of anger and frustration. Behind it, I thought I saw the briefest flashes of panicked fear, but it vanished quickly.

Harry propped himself up on one elbow, and rubbed his eye. "Okay. Ow. Glad to see you're okay too Murphy."

"Don't play games Dresden.," she snapped. "What the hell just happened?"

I helped Harry up (Which seemed to be my job now) and stepped back to let him explain. "That, was what attacked Malone."

The anger on Murphy's face evaporated. "What? You mean the thing that did that to… but why did it look like you?"

"Long, long story," Harry shivered. "I'll explain it all to you, I promise. But right now we need to stop the Nightmare before it causes more damage."

With that, he turned to me. "Penelope," he started.

I raised a brow at him, though I kept wondering why he was calling me Penelope when I told him to call me Power-Girl. The cops I saw out the side of my eye answered that question. No superheroes meant that no one should know about who I was. No telling how people would react to a real hero, let alone a fictional one come to life.

So, I let the nickname slide and Dresden said, "You need to go ahead of us. There's a colleague of mine who's probably next on the Nightmare's list. Go and warn him, he can handle it if he has a fair warning."

Harry gave me the man's name and address. Michael Carpenter, who lived a little west of Wrigley Field in Chicago. I memorized the address and nodded once at Harry. "Do try not get yourself killed Dresden. You seem like the sort to get into trouble a lot."

Harry grinned, "I only promise to try. Now go."

I was gone right as things started getting more chaotic. The two officers started pressing Harry for information, Murphy still looked pissed, and several more officers were checking in to see what all the commotion was about. Me, I just headed straight for the exit, giving the doorman a polite nod as I left.

Once outside, I found an alleyway and took off into the air, a blur in the night sky.

When I think of a place like Chicago or New York, a peaceful suburbanesque neighborhood is not something I imagined would exist. Yet this 'Michael' had managed to find one. Old trees lined either side of the street in an elegant finery. Most of the homes were old Victorian styled buildings, most of them worn down by years of wear and tear until they were nothing but tinderboxes.

Michael's house looked like it was made out of fairytale dreams. Fancy trim, elegant paint in ivory and burgundy, and go figure a white picket fence around the house and its front yard. The porch light cast a circle of gentle white warmth out onto the front lawn, almost to the edge of the property.

I made sure there was no one looking at the Carpenter household, then descended to the curb in front of the house. I pushed my way through the swinging gate, ran up the stairs, and shook the knocker against the front door. Given the time, I figured it would take Mr. Carpenter a few minutes to stagger out of bed and come down stairs. I heard a thump, a pair of long steps, and then the curtains of the window beside the door opened. A second later, the door opened, and Michael stood there, blinking sleep out of his eyes.

He was tall, a few inches shorter than Harry, with short brown hair and a solid jaw. His eyes reminded me of Kal's. Kind and caring, and only able to see the best in everyone. He wore jeans and a T-shirt with a verse from the Bible, JOHN 3:16, across his chest. He held a small child, maybe a year old, in his brawny arms. Probably one of his kids. My determination to protect him from the Nightmare kicked up from a seven to eleven.

"I'm sorry ma'am," Michael apologized. "But do I know you?"

"You don't," I said. "But I do know Harry Dresden. He sent me here to warn you about something."

In rather…uneducated terms, I outlined what I'd learned while gallivanting around with Harry. Things about the Nightmare specifically, and how it seemed to be getting to its victims. By the time I was done, Michael was just staring at me for a solid minute.

Then he said, "Let me get this straight. The ghost of a demon I killed two months ago is rampaging around Chicago, getting into people's dreams, and eating their minds from the inside."

"Yep," I said.

"And now it's taken part of Harry, manifested a body that looks like him, and he sent you here to warn me because he thinks it's coming here."

I nodded, "Sounds about right. This whole magic thing doesn't make much sense to me."

Michael pursed his lips for a moment. "Then, if you'll pardon me miss, how do I know that you aren't this Nightmare trying to trick me into inviting you in?"

I opened my mouth. Closed it. Then closed my eyes and took a breath through my nose, "I don't know. Do you think you can trust me?"

For a moment, Michael examined me. His eyes didn't pry, they only looked over me for a few seconds. Then he asked, "What is your name?"

"My name? I'm…" I trailed off for a moment. Something about him, something about Michael just made me feel…comfortable around him. He just seemed so much like Kal, like some of the others in the league. Maybe I was more cautious around Harry, but I felt I could trust Michael.

I sighed, "My name is Kara. Kara Zor-L. I'm… a fictional character brought to life. But I'm helping Harry because he seems like a good man, and there are lives at stake, including yours. But I don't know how I can prove my word to you sir."

A small smile appeared at the corner of Michael's mouth. He nodded, "Come on in, Kara. Let me put the baby to bed."

"Wait, you believe me?"

"Of course. No demon could possibly come up with something as creatively ridiculous as that. Please, Kara, come in."

I felt maybe the tiniest sliver of warmth in my chest. It felt nice to be trusted so solidly. Even nicer to trust someone with my identity.

I stepped inside, into a small entry hall with a polished hardwood floor. Michael nodded toward his living room, to the right, and said, "Sit down. I'll be back in a second."

"Mr. Carpenter," I started.

"Please, Michael."

"Michael," I corrected, "You should wake your family up."

"You said this thing was in a solid body, right?"

"Last I saw, yeah."

"Then it's not in the Nevernever. It's here, in Chicago. It can't get into people's dreams from here."

"But I don't _know_ if that's-"

"And it's going to be after the people who were near it when it died. It's going to come after me."

I shook my head, "But it's got a part of Harry in it too."

Michael frowned.

"If it wants revenge, Michael, and it has part of a human mind or spirit inside it, that thing wouldn't start with you."

He looked down at the little girl he carried. His face hardened into stone, and he said, in a very soft voice, "Kara. Sit. I'll be down in a moment."

"But-"

"I'll see to it," he said in that same soft gentle voice. It reminded me of Kal _and_ Batman. I sat down. He took the child, walking softly, and vanished up the stairway.

I swallowed nervously and sat for a moment in a big, comfortable easy chair. The kind that rocks back and forth (The awesome kind in other words). There was a towel and a half-emptied bottle off to my left, on the lamp table. I smiled. Michael must've been rocking his little girl to sleep.

Next to the bottle was a note. I leaned forward and picked it up, reading:

 _Michael. Didn't want to wake you and the baby. The little one is demanding pizza and ice cream. I'll be back in a few minutes-probably before you wake up and read this._

 _Love, Charity._

Oh god.

Oh _god_!

I stood up, and rushed for the stairs. Michael appeared at the top of them, his face pale. "My wife, Charity," he said. "She's gone."

I held up the note. "She went to the store for pizza and ice cream. She's pregnant, isn't she?"

Michael came down the stairs and brushed past me. His silence was all the answer I needed. He reached into the entry hall closet, and pulled out a blue Levi's jacket and a pitch black scabbard. I took one step back when I saw the blade. Remember when I felt the faint hum of power from Harry's circle?

I felt an _ocean_ of untapped power flowing from that blade. Whatever it was, whoever had made it, there was a lot of power in it.

"What are you waiting for, Kara? Let's go find her."

"B-but your kids-!"

Michael rolled his eyes, took a step to the door, and jerked it open without looking away from me. Harry and Murphy both stood on the other side, their hair windblown, and Harry's hand raised to knock. "Oh. Hey Michael. Guess Penelope did beat us here."

"Penelope?" Michael gave me a sidelong glance.

"Long story. I'll explain later." I promised.

Michael shrugged into his jacket and slung the sword belt over his shoulder. "Fair enough. Ms. Murphy, I can't leave my children unattended. Can you watch them please?"

I thought Murphy might say no for a moment. But she actually smiled and stepped inside, "No, never." She gave him a slight bow of respect, "Go give that bastard a piece of my mind."

She nodded at me, a gesture I returned. Then the three of us started out of the house, with Harry still trailing behind us. Michael smiled back at him. "You see, Harry?"

He scowled, "Handy fringe benefit."

I'd have flown us, but two guys was harder to fly with than one, and would attract more attention. So Michael drove in his big white truck, which rumbled down the local streets toward a corner grocery on Byron Street, within a long sprint of Graceland Cemetery. How do I know this? Better question, do you really care how I know the names of these streets? I didn't think so.

Clouds began to lower overhead, rumbling once and proceeded to dump a steady, heavy rain down onto the city, giving all the lights little halos and casting bleary reflections on the wet streets.

"This time of night," Michael said, "Walsham's is the only place open. She'll be there." Thunder rumbled again, in dramatically convenient punctuation to his statement. I sat in the back of the trunk, staring out the window at the passing buildings. Harry was silently cursing the fact that he apparently left his staff in his car. We'd have to go and pick that up later.

"There's her van," Michael said. He pulled the truck up into the row of parking spots in front of the grocery, next to the white Suburban troop transport. Had to be his wife's car. Michael barely took the time to take his keys with him-instead just snatching out his sword and loosening the great blade in its sheath as he strode toward the store's front doors, his eyes narrowed, his jaw set. The rain pasted his hair down to his head after a few steps, soaking his Levi's jacket dark blue. We followed him, Harry looking at the duster he loaned me and wincing at the damage done by the weather. Me, I was just trying to retain a level of dignity, even if my hair turned into a shag carpet in the rain while the jacket stuck to parts of my body it shouldn't have.

Michael slammed the heel of his hand into the door, and it swept open with a jangling of tinny bells. He strode into the store, swept his eyes around the visible displays and the cash registers, and then bellowed, "Charity! Where are you?"

A couple of teenage cashiers blinked at him, and an elderly woman perusing the vitamins turned to gawk at him through her spectacles. Harry and I sighed in unison. He nodded at the nearest cashier, a too-skinny, too-blonde girl who looked impatient for her cigarette break. And yes, there is such a thing as too blonde.

"Uh, hi," Harry said. "Did you see me come in here a minute ago?"

"Or a pregnant woman," Michael said. "About this high." He stuck his hand out flat over my head. So his wife was my same height? Neat.

The female cashier traded a look with her counterpart. "Seen you, mister?"

Harry nodded. "Another guy, like me. Tall, skinny, all in black-jacket like hers, but all black clothes underneath."

The girl licked her lips and gave us a calculating look. "Maybe I have," she said. "What's in it for me?"

My time to shine. I cut off Michael and started forward. Harry grabbed at my shoulder and leaned back, "Whoah, whoah, P.G." he yelped. "Slow down, girl."

I shot him a look. Harry promptly let go. Smart man.

My hands cracked the countertop when I lightly, but firmly, slapped them down, glaring at the cashier. I'll give her credit, she was a master at the 'I do not give a crap' face you see from most minimum wage workers. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to deal with that. Neither did Michael's wife.

"Can I help you?" she asked dismissively.

"Look, honey," I said. "You do not wanna play this game. All we're asking is if you've either seen string beans evil twin, or a pregnant woman. Do not pull this act, because you cannot back it up. Trust me."

To emphasize my point, I curled my fists on the table. It was a little trick I learned a while back when I was experimenting with my powers. Curl your fist tight enough, apply some super strength, and you get a deep but faint rumbling in the air from the tension. I used this technique then and there.

The girl looked at my hands and then back at me and her eyes slowly widened. She shrank down into her seat. "Yeah…She went down aisle five a few minutes ago. Back toward the freeze section."

"Yeah?" I asked. "Then what?"

A small bit of defiance returned to her eyes. "What? Is this your boyfriend or something, running around with another woman? Am I going to see this on Larry Fowler tomorrow?"

I let out a pent up sigh. A heavy wind hit her and her counterpart and sent magazines flying into the air. "It is complicated," I growled. "What else did you see?"

The defiance remained, but it was shaken. "Sh-she paid for some stuff, and went to that van out there. It wouldn't start. I saw him-or the guy that looks like him, come up to her and start talking to her. She looked pretty pissed at him, but she walked off with him. I didn't think anything of it."

I felt my stomach give way. "Walked off?" I said. "Which way?"

The cashier shrugged. "Look, mister, she just looked like she was getting a ride somewhere. She wasn't fighting or nothing."

"Which way!" I thundered. The entire store trembled. Harry and Michael both looked at me in surprise. The cashier blinked, and her jaded exterior collapsed. She pointed a shaky finger down the street- toward Graceland.

"Come on!" I shouted, rushing for the door. I grabbed Michael and Harry by the collars and dragged them outside into the rain and the dark.

We stopped at Charity's van for a second, where I released the two and tapped at the hood. It fell off with a clatter, to reveal a mess of torn wires and shredded belts and broken pieces of metal. I cursed, and shielded my eyes from the rain and my hair, trying to scan down the street toward the cemetery. Even with super vision, rain is hard to see through.

But, I saw in the far distance, two figures. One ungainly with long hair. The other stood tall over, slender, walking toward the cemetery holding her firmly by the hair.

I was off in a blur of before the two could vanish. Screw subtlety, if this thing got ahold of Michaels wife two lives would be ended and many more devastated. I kicked into overdrive, my feet leaving faint imprints in the concrete while rain slashed off me in a small cone of air.

I gained on Charity and Not-Harry within seconds, reaching out a hand to rip the bastard from the air and put an end to this. I was no more than five feet behind them, when something large and heavy crashed into my side.

"Oof!" I went tumbling end over end between two buildings, bouncing off a garbage can and crashing into the ground. I peeled myself off the rain soaked asphalt and blinked stars from my eyes. An energy filled the air, almost electric in its potency. I heard thunder boom again, and it sounded much, much closer.

As I got to my feet, I clutched at my ribs and groaned. Which made a cold spike of fear drive itself into my heart. If I was groaning from a body check, that meant that whatever hit me was either incredibly strong, or supernatural.

I turned back to alley at the next strike of thunder, and saw what had attacked me. A man, a towering man, stood at the entrance to the alleyway. He was a giant, and his body rippled with slabs of muscle. The air around him hummed with potent energy, an energy I was more familiar with than Harry's magic.

The man's suit was pitch black, save for threads of gold around his wrists, ankles, waist, and a lightning emblem on his chest. He wore a black hood and cape, also lined with golden thread. The emblem on his chest crackled and sparked with energy, illuminating the man's face for me to see.

He clapped his big hands together, and more thunder boomed. "The famous Power-Girl," the man said, his voice tinted with an Egyptian accent.

"I've faced your cousin in battle before, and he barely overpowered me. But I've never faced you before." He grinned. "It will be an honor and a privilege to end one of Supermans kin."

I ripped off Harry's duster and reattached my cape. Despite the rain, I glared at this man with perfect clarity, "I don't know why you're here, but I've got more important things to deal with. So stand aside, Black Adam."

The former bearer of the word 'Shazam' and enemy to Captain Marvel, grinned at me, "I'm afraid I can't do that, Power-Girl. That would put the plan in jeopardy. But…"

He clenched his fists, and lightning crackled from each knuckle, arcing towards the nearest buildings that surrounded us. "I am more than happy to see you try and stop us."

Then, he charged me.

 **A/N: So the plot thickens. I wanted to bring in a foe from DC that could put a legitimate threat to Power-Girl. At the current part of the story, no one in the Dresdenverse is aware of her existence, and the Nightmare wouldn't put up much of a fight against her, despite catching her off guard earlier.**

 **So next chapter, we'll get to see Black Adam and Power-Girl go at it, while Michael and Harry rush to rescue Charity from the Nightmare. Will things play out how they did in the book? Or will more events change in the coming battle?**

 **Tune in for the next chapter of Heroes and Wizards to find out!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

* * *

Black Adam hit me like a lightning bolt, fittingly enough. Fast, hard, and with a thunderous boom, he knocked me farther down the alley. I bounced off another trash can and crashed into the wall at the far end of the backstreet, where I promptly remained stuck in the bricks.

Adam floated up to me with the casual cockiness that most villains loved to use. Cracked his knuckles, sending sparks flying from every joint. This guy was a grade-a ham. But, there were advantages to fighting villains like him.

Advantage one.

He pinched my face between his sausage fingers and sneered, "For a Kryptonian, I expected far more of a challenge than what you have provided," he gloated.

With a flick of his wrist, he wrenched me from the wall and sent me crashing to the floor. Overhead, lightning boomed, illuminating the whole side street, and the rain started falling even harder. I wiped some water from my eyes and started getting back up. Adam gave me a savage kick to the side for my trouble.

When I fell back to the ground, I rolled onto my back. He slammed his foot onto my stomach, and snarled at me, "You are nothing like Superman. A pale feminine copy, a waste of space."

My hands gripped at his boot, but it was planted in my gut for the moment. Perfect. I tried to ignore the rain pouring into my eyes and gave him the most sarcastic grin I could manage, "Well, you're right about one thing. I'm not Superman."

Faster than the eye could track, I punched straight up, hard and fast, hitting advantages number two and three. Adams smug expression vanished within his hood, and he let out the highest pitched squeal of pain and terror I've ever heard. I shoved his foot off my easily, and swiped my legs out from under him.

Adam went down like a sack of bricks. I grabbed him by the hood, and started pulling him back up, "Now, let's even the odds here, okay?"

The ground around us shuddered under my lift off, leaving a neat little crater in my wake. I winced as the rain tore at my eyes and ears, and shivered at the exposure. My super suit wasn't built for long fights in the rain, I'd have to make this quick.

I grabbed Adam by the shirt and pulled him up face to face with me, "Alright Adam, since I've destroyed little Adam, why don't you tell me how you got into this universe, and who you're working for?"

More lightning crackled around us, and Adam murmured something. I pulled him a little closer, "Didn't catch that, what did you say?"

I should've kept my guard up.

"Sha…zam…"

I had no time to react. The moment Adam uttered the last part of the Word, he shoved himself away from me as hard as he could. The bolt of lightning that had been heading for him, hit me directly, and it was the most painful thing I'd ever felt.

My skin was on fire, my bones were magma, and my heart was going a million miles a minute. All of this felt like it lasted an eternity, when in reality it lasted more like half of a second. Then, I was falling towards the ground again.

Right up until Adam grabbed me by the ankle and lifted me overhead with one arm. "Pathetic. Was that your best?"

"…Ugha…" was my quick-witted response.

Adam smirked, "I thought so," and blasted me with more lightning.

I'll spare those details, because talking about getting my ass kicked is a pass-time I don't enjoy, and skip to the part where I regained some level of coherency. Adam had just tossed me into the sky, and was flying after me, probably to pummel me some more. But, right as he got close enough to land that first blow, I managed to regain control over my flight.

The result?

I stopped dead in the air, while Adam went flying straight into the clouds. I smirked and crossed my arms, waiting for tall, dark, and hammy to make his return. He drifted back out of the clouds towards me a minute later, a very unamused look on his face. His hood was drawn back now, exposing his dark skinned face to the elements.

"Now then," I dusted myself off, "Can we have an actual fight here, without you flinging magic at me constantly?"

Adam scowled, "And why would I do that?"

"I dunno, some sort of villainous honor system?" I wondered, "I mean, some of you super-villains have this whole 'noble demon' act going on, so who knows."

I got a flat look for that, "You are far less serious than your cousin."

I grinned, "Yeah, but I look a lot nicer."

Didn't get a response for that. Adam spread his hands, letting a bolt of lightning arc between them both. He roared, and released the bolt at me. I dropped a few feet and it sailed harmlessly overhead.

"Why did you think that'd work?" I asked calmly.

Adam responded with an attempt to punch me again. But I was ready this time, and blocked the blow with the top of my forearm. The air around us literally exploded from the force of the impact. Rain stopped falling around us for a brief moment, before the downpour fell on us once again. Through it all though, I saw buildings begin to light up across Chicago.

Uh-oh.

My free hand tightened into a fist, "This fight… is over!"

I hit Adam hard, and I hit him fast. The thing most villains always forget about me is that, even though I don't have 'Super' in the name, I'm still every bit the Kryptonian my cousin and counterpart are. The difference between me and Supergirl though? I've got about fifteen more years of experience with my powers.

Adam never saw my punch coming. He sure felt it though. I saw Adam go flying through the sky, and vanishing with a little twinkle of light. That would hardly slow him down for more than a minute or two at best, but that was all I needed. I quickly flew back to Graceland Cemetery where Michael and Harry had to be confronting the Nightmare by now. If I was lucky, they had already rescued Michael's wife, Charity.

I saw the many gravestones and brick mortar wall of Graceland come into view, even beneath the constant sheet of rain. Several figures scurried between graves, which meant they had to be the others. I wasn't too late, I could interrupt and stop this now before things got too out of hand.

But right as I was starting to descend, right as I could put an end to one Nightmare, the other came back with a vengeance. My super-hearing saved me, alerting me to Adams sneak attack. I whirled around and blocked his overhead electric-charged pile driver with both hands. The magically charged energy burned my forearms, but I powered through the pain.

"Die, you insufferable _bitch_!" Adam howled. The wind shifted against us, pulling at my cape and dragging me down. Adam pushed hard, and more electricity arched off him.

I yelped in pain, I couldn't help it. One bolt hit me square in the gut, and I lost it for a moment. Adam took advantage of that, wrapping his fingers around my throat and sending us falling for the ground. Our impact sent a tremor through the graveyard, destroying the ground in a ten-foot radius. Dust and debris spiraled into the air, and I was sent flying out of the crater. I skipped off the ground, ricocheted off a standing gravestone, and landed in a pile onto the ground.

"Power Girl?"

I got my hands under me, only for them to sink into mud. The rain was coming down so hard that the dirt was nothing but dirty water at this point. I managed to pull my face out of the ground and wiped some mud from my eyes.

I'd landed at the edge of a marble edifice that held an uncanny resemblance to a Greek temple, with its roof open to the sky. A heavily pregnant blonde woman was laying upon a bier within the structure. That had to be charity, lying on her back, clutching at her swollen belly and snarling up at Not-Harry.

The Nightmare stood over her, with dark hair plastered to its head and dark eyes staring at me in surprise. It held one hand over Charity's belly, the other over her throat. I saw shapes moving around the edge of the Nightmare, moths or…spirits, maybe.

I only saw this because of Harry though, the real one. He was standing opposite the bier with a glowing pentacle necklace in hand. He looked even worse than Not-Harry, and legitimately surprised to see me there, like the Nightmare. Michael though, was nowhere to be seen.

I struggled to my feet, "Harry, get Charity. We need to go now." My feet gave way and I slumped against the entrance to the 'temple'.

The Nightmare held up a hand at me, "T-thee will cometh no further, mortal wench!"

"Oh shut up," I growled. With a flick of my wrist, I broke a chunk of marble off the temple and sent it flying right between the Nightmares eyes. The demon/spirit/ghost/thing shrieked bloody murder, its body twisting up in an unnatural wave of dark energy… then collapsed into a puddle of clear goo onto the ground.

I spat some mud out of my mouth, "Egotistical nutcase."

My eyes flicked back to Harry, who was holding some sort of light in his hand, while his jaw was hanging loosely. It was comical to look at. Shame I didn't have time to laugh at him. "Get Charity off that thing, we're going?"

Harry followed my order, slowly. He was looking at me in a new light, practically with awe. It was the kinda look I got when I saved civilians from falling bridges or exploding cars. I don't think Harry had really believed my story up until now. Maybe he thought I was a hallucination, or a magical critter that just looked like Power-Girl. Now it turned out I was the real deal, and I guess he was having trouble wrapping his head around that.

His problem, not mine.

While he carefully helped Charity off the slab (she was surprisingly coherent given what she'd likely gone through), I managed to stand myself straight up and turn back in the direction of the crater I left. Lightning crackled overhead, and the boom of thunder quickly followed it.

"Where's Michael?" I asked, without turning around.

"No idea," Harry grunted, "We were following you, when suddenly you and Michael were just… gone. Haven't seen him since. Where'd you vanish off to?"

The ground to my left exploded with energy. A bolt of lightning incinerated a patch of mud and send tremors through the earth. Charity and Harry yelped in surprise. I stood my ground, staring into the thick sheets of rain. A single, massive figure was emerging from the storm, his entire body wreathed in burning white lightning.

Another flash of lightning blinded me. When my sight returned, Adam stood mere feet from me, his expression twisted into a permanent scowl. The rain began to fall in thick slabs, pelting me and Adam. I heard Harry behind me stifle a gasp of surprise, and possibly fear.

Adam smirked, "Don't worry yourself, wizard," he told Harry, never taking his eyes off me, "I'm only here for Power-Girl. You and the woman, are safe for now."

"Power-Girl…" Harry said, his voice low.

"Take Charity and go, Harry," I ordered. "You might be a wizard, but Black Adam is way outside your weight division. I can buy you both time."

Adam smashed the wall to my right. The entire temple shuddered and groaned, listing to my left. I could feel the stone cracking, threatening to give way at any moment. I remained standing, glaring up defiantly at Black Adam. He grinned at me, then looked past me at Harry.

"I'd listen to the Kryptonian, wizard. You are out of your league, and I'd hate to kill you before our plans are set into motion."

I blinked once, "Our plans?"

Who was he working with?

Adam used my moment of confusion against me. His fist hit me square in the jaw, an incredible uppercut. I physically lifted off the ground from the blow alone. Adam grabbed me by the ankle and slammed me into the right side of the temple. It started falling forward, bits of rubble cracking off and falling to the ground.

I grabbed onto the ground for a brief moment, digging my fingers into the stone. I desperately searched through the collapsing temple and saw Harry with Charity, backing away. "Harry, leave now! I'll be fine, but I can't stop him if you don't leave _right now!_ "

That got through to him. Harry somehow managed to lift Charity into his arms and managed to run out of the cemetery. I saw his back start to vanish right as Adam wrenched me free from the ground and sent me flying through the graveyard. I heard the temple collapse, before I bounced off another grave into the ground. Around me, a chorus of whispers took off, soft quiet voices. Incoherent, even to me, but I had a general idea of what had happened. Apparently, our fight had disturbed the dead to the point that even I could hear them.

"Where's Deadman when you need him?" I mumbled.

A howling screech tore through the night sky. I rolled to my feet and whirled around to see Adam come crashing down where I'd been a moment ago. Mud and water sprayed everywhere. I kept it from my eyes with my free hand and lowered it in time to see Adam come right at me.

He began punching at me, but I was more than ready this time. I started back-stepping from him and fell into a semi-crouch, my hands raised to protect my face. Unlike Kal, I didn't have full training in any Kryptonian combat techniques. What I did have though, was full mastery over boxing, courtesy of old Wild-Cat. Didn't work well for mid-air fighting, but on the ground it was perfect for what Adam was doing. The magical warrior was over 5,000 years old, and could be quite brilliant when he wanted. But in a straight fight, he was no tactical genius, preferring to use every part of the 'Shazam' name except for Solomon. Supervillains are kinda stupid like that.

My point is though, I was able to hold my own thanks to Wild-Cats training. I dodged and weaved between Adams punches, starting to run circles around him. He threw a jab at me, and I took my chance. I rolled right, letting the punch skim past me, slammed my feet back into the ground, and hit him with a cross punch straight towards his chin. The crack of impact was almost as loud as the thunder he threw around. Adam stumbled back in surprise, rubbing his chin.

I held up both hands in an upright stance and went light on my toes, "Alright big guy, you can throw a few good punches, take a few too. But let's see just how long the stamina of Atlas really is."

Adam snarled and came running back at me. He flung a right hook, I blocked it with my left arm, he tried a left uppercut, I danced away from it and countered with three rapid jabs no human could've seen. Adam's head whipped back, and he took one step back in surprise. I followed with a solid uppercut that sent him stumbling away from me.

I ran forward and twisted on my heel. I wasn't as good with kickboxing, but I knew enough. I landed a solid kick on Adams mid-section. He went skidding through the mud and dirt through three graves and crashed into a tree. The splintered timber collapsed on top of him.

"How was that for a fight, big guy?" I asked.

The tree exploded in response. Adam was on me a moment later, throwing punches fast as he could. I backpedaled while blocking or deflecting every punch. The rain tore at the two of us, and the wind was whipped up into a frenzied whirlwind. I could hear the whispers growing louder by the second, evolving into a full scale chorus of angry wails and screams.

I couldn't take it. I clenched my eyes in pain for a brief moment, the noise too much. It was all Adam needed to plant me in the dirt, and several feet under. I gasped for air, covered in mud and soaked with rain. But the noise wouldn't stop, it just kept getting louder, angrier. I remember that it was impossible to think, that every thought in my mind was overwhelmed with these incoherent screams.

They only cleared when Adam slammed his hands together. Thunder boomed, echoing through the city. Every whisper fell silent, leaving only the sound of rain beating against the mud. Adam stood over me, and held up a hand, crackling with lightning. I stared at the raw power he held in his hand, and the look of sadistic glee on his face. In hindsight, I could've escaped easily, but at the time I was still reeling from the ghostly wails that had haunted my every waking moment. All I could do was stare stupidly at Black Adam, vaguely aware that I was about to die.

The worst part was that he knew it, too. Black Adam gave me a wicked smile and pointed his hand, palm facing forwards, directly at my face, "I want your last, agonizing moments to be filled with your own screams," he explained.

"No spirits, no wizards, and no Superman to save you."

I heard the sound of steel rasping against leather, and a bright white light lit up the courtyard, "How about a Knight!?"

Steel hummed through the air, something tore, and Adam howled with pain, stumbling away from me, outside of the warm light. I saw a heavy work boot step down beside me, sinking into the mud. Another joined it a moment later.

I glanced up at Michael, "You have….great timing."

The big man gave a small smile that wouldn't have looked out of place on Kal's face, "I ran into Harry on my way in, he told me what happened. Thank you for helping him and Charity."

I groaned, and with a push, managed to pry myself free of the mud. The rain quickly washed it away as I stood back up, and winced, "Yeah, all in a day's work, but where's the big guy?"

A lightning bolt passed between the two of us and destroyed another gravestone. We both looked at Adam, standing in the light once again. His face was twisted into one of anger and… pain? I looked at his right arm and saw a thin cut running down from his shoulder to the inside of his wrist. I glanced at the glowing sword Michael carried, and saw its edge covered in blood.

"Holy shit," I murmured. What kinda weapon did this guy have at his disposal that it could cut a guy like Black Adam!?

Michael didn't hear me, instead focusing on Adam. The big wizard did the same, though his eyes were more wary of the sword, "I see you've finally shown yourself, Knight of the Cross. I shall only warn you once, that your false god will not protect you from my wrath. Leave now, and you will live to serve another day."

I put my hand on Michael's shoulder, "This is my fight, you don't need to get involved."

Michael looked back and smiled at me, "I disagree. I will not leave you to face this man alone, especially in the shape you are in."

The bruises on my body flared and I had to resist flinching. It was like a dozen jackhammers going off all at once all over my body. The burns were constantly throbbing, even if they had started to heal. Adam's magic had taken its toll, and in this thunderstorm, he was at his strongest.

But I wasn't going to let Michael try and sacrifice himself against Adam of all people. "Look, Michael, you're outclasses," I explained, "Adam is far too powerful, and he'll tear you apart, even with that fancy sword."

Michael bared his teeth in a fierce and unnerving expression, "That's where you're wrong, for the Lord is my Shield," he turned to Adam, and hefted his sword into both hands, its white fire igniting the night into a halogen glow, "and his light is my guidance."

Adam smirked, "So be it."

Lightning crackled. The world lit up for a single instant, the graveyard an eerie battleground of craters and cracked stone. Then, the light was gone and Adam came charging at us. He hit me first, with a lightning infused fist straight to the gut. I was still out of it, I wasn't able to keep up like I should've.

With the wind knocked out of me, I doubled over, gasping for air. Adam grabbed me by the hair, and flung me through the graveyard. I hit yet _another_ grave, this one with a large angelic figure atop it. It cracked, and I slumped to the ground, dazed and tingling. My whole body was numb, and nothing was responding. I could barely breathe, let alone stand and fight.

But I could see, and I could not believe what I was seeing.

Adam had twisted with his throw, and tried to backhand Michael, a blow that would've knocked his block off. Michael had calmly sidestepped out of the way with an calm and collected elegance. Adam stumbled with his blow, leaving his back exposed.

"Lava quod est sordium! In nomine Dei, sana quod est saucium!" was the battle cry Michael bellowed. Latin, though I had no idea what it meant. The fire on his sword grew brighter, and Michael landed another blow across Adams back. The cut, like the one on his arm, was long and shallow.

Adam screeched in pained fury, twisting back around and blasting lightning at Michael. I watched as this knight barely dodged it, the hair on his head smoking from the heat. Adam wailed on Michael, trying and failing to hit him, for the moment. Michael was, by no means, fast enough to handle Adam, or strong enough. I knew this, Adam knew this, and Michael had to know this.

Yet, every blow the wizard threw at Michael, missed by inches. Somehow, someway, Michael was fast enough to just keep out of Adams kill range. Add in the fact that I think his brains were scrambled from our earlier brawl, and the guy just couldn't hit Michael.

I curled my fist, and blinked in surprise. Feeling began to slowly return to my body again, the numbness fading. I managed to get my legs under me, and started getting up. If I took too long, Michaels luck would have to come to an end eventually.

Adam delivered a right hook that Michael, again, dodged. The moment he was clear of Adams attack, he swung his sword with such speed and ferocity, I could hear the hum of the steel through the rain and thunder. Adam ducked to the side as fast as he could, and sidestepped the blow.

Michaels sword fell into the dirt, and he stood there, shoulders heaving and breathing shallow. I realized with a start that, despite dodging every attack from Adam, Michael was getting tired fast. Whatever he was doing to avoid Adams blows was straining him hard. I urged myself to move faster, but my body refused to respond.

Adam straightened up, water and blood pouring from his injuries, "You are fast, Knight. But I am far, far faster."

Between breaths, Michael managed to chuckle, "I still hit you…" he breathed.

A small trickle of blood trailed down the side of Adams forehead. Above his right eye, a patch of skin, no bigger than a quarter, had been sheered away from Michaels counter-attack. Adam didn't even acknowledged the damage. He sneered at Michael instead and looked skyward.

My damn body refused to respond. I was on my feet now, almost ready to move. I tried to warn Michael, I really did. But Adam had had enough of our fight apparently. For the word of power rolled from his lips yet again.

" **SHAZAM!** "

And the world went dark.

* * *

 **A/N: I do have Will of the Primes under work right now, but I also had this chapter lying around, so decided to finish it while trying to work out that other chapter. So yeah, things really took an interesting turn here. For those of you that are Dresden fans, you know what was supposed to happen here. Obviously, Power-Girl and Black Adam derailed things, and we instead got a big brawl (That I felt came out rather good, but let me know what you think) and Michael got a chance to be a badass, as usual.**

 **I do hope you enjoyed this chapter though, and remember to leave a review, and to PM me with questions and comments!**

 **Bye!**


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